“I’ve been grey, purple, brunette, ginger, and I’m now blonde. Life’s too short. If you want to be wacky, be wacky, hair always grows back.”
Where do I even begin with this woman. I don’t even know where to start.
Aimy Dodge is like a sister to me, and I’ve written about her previously in this post right here, and this outfit one right here.
We met at around thirteen, walked to school together for years, and quickly became good friends. She’s been there through all my highs and lows and probably knows me better than anyone. We would go to each other’s houses after school and make pancakes, and at least two Christmases in a row we made scrapbooks for each other full of all our photos and personal jokes. – I mean that’s a true friendship right there…plus a shared love of scrap-booking and Rent.
She was -and is- a best friend.
I could write pages on this girl, describing how she’s just always been there for me. But it wouldn’t quite do all that we’ve been through justice. There have been so many times when I’ve been anxious or stressed or down in the dumps, and she’s simply been there, with every text, hand written letter and words of positivity, reminding me that I could get through it.
I am so grateful to have had this woman in my life for the past ten years; with three years walking to school together, countless Skype and phone calls, many essay-lookalike-Christmas-cards, a ridiculous number of A’s & A*s at GCSE, several flat/house moves, two ex-boyfriends, one baby, several university degrees (her’s finished, might not), one nearly-finished Masters.. and one very special Half-Asian-Little-Bit-Special-Only-Child-Syndrome-type-Bond, with a mutual understanding of each other’s craziness.
Aimy is currently in her second year of a Masters in Architecture, having completed her Undergraduate degree in Architecture at Sheffield Hallam University.
She enjoys going to the gym, painting, drawing and travelling in her spare time. (And seemingly shopping for gifts for Maia, because she always seems to be spoiling her with wonderful surprises..)
1. Describe yourself in three words:
Caring (I’d like to think), bit nuts, I don’t know that’s really hard!.. Creative
2. How’s your day? What have you been up to?
Good, saw ma best friend Angie, we vegetated all day, ate food and drank tea and gossiped.
3. What does your typical day look like?
I wake up, around maybe 6:30, try to go to the gym in the morning, try and do everything and be ready to start work around 9:30-10, have a leisurely breakfast, I don’t like being rushed..then try and do uni work for most of the day with the occasional coffee break. Then cook dinner with the whole house, go to bed around 11.
4. Do you have a special morning or evening routine?
The first thing I make is a coffee in the morning. In the evening I have to make sure I’ve taken all my make-up off, no cutting corners.
5. How do you unwind at the end of the day?
Watch BBC i-Player
6. What do you watch?
Crime, documentaries
7. What do you say to yourself to keep positive?
Just take a step back and see how good my life is, appreciate my life, that my family and friends are healthy.
8. Who are your biggest inspirations?
Successful Business Women!
9. What are you most grateful for?
My health
10. What makes you so angry you can’t think about it for too long?
Being unappreciated
11. What would you tell your 15 year old self?
Listen to your parents because they always have your best interests at heart, but take their advice as advice only.
12. What would be your dream career or careers?
Run a successful business selling furniture or interior decor. Or shop window display, visual merchandising.
13. What are you currently doing to work towards your dream?
I am doing my Masters in Architecture to help broaden my knowledge in art technology and construction.
14. Any advice for people wanting to study Architecture?
It’s such a great subject it covers so many topics, it’s creative but it’s also academic, as long as you’re willing to put in all the work, you can achieve so much from it. I’m so glad I did it.
15. If you could be one person for the day who would it be?
The Queen- that’d be cool
16. What is your most recent purchase?
A lacy black top from Zara
17. What is the most expensive piece of clothing in your wardrobe?
My All Saints leather jacket
18. And the most expensive bag?
My Mulberry bag
19. What’s the best thing you’ve found in a charity shop?
A Burberry Barbour Coat for £8
20. You love make-up and hair and beauty etc, how do you feel without make-up on?
I love myself without any makeup, not because I look good but because I feel fresh, I feel like I’m not hiding behind anything, this is just how I am. But one thing I can’t live without is mascara, it just makes my eyes bigger and they’re probably my best feature on my face that I like. Spotty skin doesn’t phase me, I have nothing to hide from I don’t think. I could easily not wear foundation and I rarely do to be honest.
21. And how do you feel when you do wear make-up?
I feel confident. I like wearing make up, but I sometimes feel like it’s a bit of a faff, you have to maintain it, sometimes you just want to rub your face off. Sometimes wearing foundation when you have bad skin can make you look worse, you lose your natural glow.
22. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done this year beauty wise?
Dyed my hair. I’ve been grey, purple, brunette, ginger, and I’m now blonde. Life’s too short. If you want to be wacky, be wacky, hair always grows back.
23. You’re a self-confessed gym-bunny, what does the gym do for you?
I go to the gym 100% for myself, I am my own biggest critic, I go to look good in my own clothes and in my own skin and to be physically fit makes me feel good on the inside. It’s so good for your skin and hair.
24. You have a pretty healthy diet, how do you feel when you eat junk food?
I just regret it instantly, I suffer from bloating quite badly which most girls do but it’s so uncomfortable. But having said that sometimes I can eat small amounts of crap food and feel great so I’ve never said “you shouldn’t eat crap food”.
25. If you were a fashion stylist, what would you say is the best investment anyone can make?
A watch. A watch can make any outfit look nice. Or a nice handbag.
26. What’s the best bit of fashion advice your Mum’s given you?
She used to tell me “Beauty hurts, to look good you might be in pain..”.
If I complained that my jeans were too tight or my feet hurt in heels she’d be like “yeh but you look good so..” and also to look after your skin and always wear SPF everyday.
27. What is your go-to outfit?
Black jeans, knee-high boots, shirt or blouse and good fitting coat.
28. Top five clothing stores?
All Saints, Kooples, H&M, Zara, Mint Velvet
29. What do you admire most about your Mum?
She has a big heart. She does always want the best for people, she’s very caring towards her family and friends.
30. Favourite bit of life advice/quote/something you live by:
Everything happens for a reason.
31. Any general life advice to younger people?
Don’t take life too seriously and always 100% be yourself.
32. When are you happiest?
Just being around happy and bubbly people, my friends mostly
33. One of the happiest days of your life?
Graduation!
34. Make up a lie about yourself right now:
I’m actually an FBI agent working for the Japanese government.
35. Three things you took from your University experience?
How to live alone and with other people, fend for yourself, feed yourself and work with others.
36. Any bad habits that you’re currently trying to work on?
Not taking all my make up off properly! Avoiding the gym because it’s cold outside. Trying to stop drinking as much coffee.
37. How much coffee do you drink?
Only one a day but I’ve been trying to get it down to just one every two days..
38. One thing you love about yourself?
My hands.
(*I actually happen to mention Aimy’s hands whenever hands come up in conversation.)
39. Best advice/guidance your parents gave you?
Work hard and you’ll achieve great things.
40. Your perfect day?
Wake up, make pancakes, go shopping, have lunch with the best friend and then snuggle all night with the Man, watch films with the Man. And it has to include Pic N Mix.
41. If you lived in an alternative reality, having made different choices throughout your life, where would you be and what would you be doing?
I’d probably be some like crazy artist in some attic painting crazy paintings earning millions. – Living off Pic N Mix.
42. One experience you think has helped shape you as a person?
A relationship that forced me to learn how to be on my own and be my own best friend.
43. Five things that bring you joy?
Drawing, going to the gym, coffees with my friends, seeing my family and sex.
44. Three things you couldn’t live without?
My phone – it’s so sad -but my phone, knee-high boots and food.. pic N Mix…
45. Three things you’d change about the world?
Fuck ISIS. Somehow stop all extremist groups. Fuck Cancer as well.
46. If you could change the British education system, what would you change?
100% stop teaching us shit we don’t need to know, real life knowledge is so much more important. Take children outside and teach them about the real world and bring people in, good role models.. Learn about politics and daily life, like how to pay bills!.. Mortgages.. We barely get told about this stuff..No one knows how to vote these days because we never get taught these things.
47. If you were going to volunteer for any charitable organisation which one would you choose and why?
A charity for Parkinson’s disease because my Grandma died from Parkinson’s.
48. Favourite Films?
Bride-the-fucking-Maids… Chicago..
49. Favourite books?
Ah I can never remember them! Either fantasy or crime books..
50. Favourite holiday?
Probably Mykonos, a girls holiday, just enjoying the sun, the sea and girly drinks with close friends on a beautiful island.
51. What did you want to be when you were little?
A pharmacist or a lawyer. I wanted to have all the bottles in the shop..
52. Name three things you’d like to say you did before you die:
Inspired someone.
Get to a point where I’m content with my life.
To have kids..be a good mother to my kids.
53. People you’d most like to meet?
To be able to go to the Michael Jackson concert before he died.. I had tickets..
Stephen Hawking and Zaha Hadid.
54. If you could travel to any time or place where and when would it be?
I’d love to go to New York just anytime ASAP! Maybe Christmas or New Year’s.
55. Religion or spiritual practice?
No, I’m an atheist but I believe in karma and good will, everything happens for a reason.
56. What are your biggest pet peeves about other people?
Eating with your mouth open and chewing really loudly. I think I’d be an FBI agent just to hunt those people down.
57. What is your proudest achievement?
Getting though my Undergraduate Architecture course.
58. What is your fondest memory from your teenage years?
Sneaking boys into my house without my parents knowing and going to parties without them knowing.
59. What do you worry most about?
Not meeting my parents expectations. Just because they’ve always had really high expectations, I don’t want to let them down.
60. If you won £1,000,000 what would you do? What would change in your life?
No work, all travel and give it to my family and friends.
61. What’s one thing you wish you knew how to do?
Sing or dance.
62. We took adult ballet classes last year, what did you take from that experience?
I enjoy trying new things, saying I’ve done it even if it might not have been my thing. I’m always open to new experiences.
63. Three things you think about more than the average person?
My weight!
Making enough time for my friends.
Making sure my nails look good.
64. What did you learn yesterday?
That an afternoon nap is a bloody good idea.
65. What is one bit of advice you’ll want your children to remember?
Do things to make you happy rather than trying to please others.
66. What is happiness?
Being around people you can be 100% yourself with.
The Colourful Kind 
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